CRICKET.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143771, 20 April 1912, Page 8

CRICKET.

(By “Willow.”)

The match between the Borough Council arc! die Taranaki County Council was concluded on Thursday. '1 he cricket did not, however, reach quite such a high level as on the opening clay. J. H. Hiil hit well ior his score of 22, but tlie battihg of the rest of the team was disappointing. There were, as was •to he exp ctcd, some very diverting incidents’‘in the course of the play. ADAI-. lum scored ,5 lor a lost ball quite close up in tl;e field. Councillor Andrews could not be tor some time persuaded that ho was really out when Alannix smartly whipped oil his bails when he was stunning a good yard out of his ground. Ben Tippins was playing like a veteran kinsman, when he found himsell at tne same end of the pitch as Janies Clarke, and was rim out. Mark Hopson bowled underhand lobs witli grind ’ clieet, and managed to puzzle many of tlie batsmen. The King George’s Coiona’tion Hall will benefit considerably as a result of the match, upwards ol £l2 having been taken by tlie sale of tickets and at the gates. The decision of the Wellington Cricket Association by one vote to practically oppose the proposed visit ol the New Zealand team comes as a great surprise, comments a Canterbury qritic. The idea that a trip to Australia would only show off the paucity of New Zealand cricket is simply absurd. It is about fourteen years since New Zealand visited Australia. The two Tasmanian matches were won, Victoria was given a great fight, so much so that New South Wales picked a very hot team which fairly pulverised the New Zealanders. But what is Australian cricket to-day compared with New Zealand? Two seasons ago the Board of Control sent a team to New Zealand which included Avmrdrong, aiso Bardsley, Emory, Kelleway, Mayne, Whitty, and Smith, who are to-day on their way to England as members ol the Australian Eleven. Vet this team was lucky to escape with draws against Canterbury aud Taranaki, and in the New Zealand match all the luck as regards wickets. The paucity of New Zealand cricket 1 Kuhbish ! . New Zealand has excellent ohunces of distinguishing itself if the best team is sent over. On the form shown by the various States this year, I am certain that the New Zealand tour would be a most successful one. I cannot get away from the tact that Australia lost four matches in the last test series with seven members of the Australian Eleven which visited New Zealand, and which was lucky to avoid defeat on two or three occasions, included in the team. Yet New Zealand is supposed to be so outclassed as to have no show against the various States. Dan Reece, a boy of 18, was the best all-round player m the last -team, and yet there is no comparison between the’ Reese of to-day and the youngster of fourteen years ago; and it must be admitted that, Reese would not be the first bat picked in the team to-day, nor the second, and in the bowling department he would have more support from the others than he did previously. That is only one argument to show how mu oh New Zealand cricket has advanced in fourteen years. To-day the public interest in cricket is very kfi|en, and now is the time to decide to,'send its best team across.

In connc'ction with the above, the secretary of the North Taranaki Cricket Association has received a. circular letter from the New Zealand Council asking for a guarantee of £2o from the local association for the purpose of financing the proposed tour. The circular points out that three out of the five largo Australian provincial associations have promised to give the whole net proceeds of matches between them and a New Zealand team to the Cricket Council in the event of the tour taking place. It is also probable that the other two associations, when heard from, will do the same, bo it seems hardly necessary to subscribe the sum of £6OO which they say is required. At any rate, as the smaller associations would stand small chance of recognition when the team was chosen, it is hardly fair to ask them to subscribe towards the expense of sending the team on tour. These associations have not forgotten the treatment which the council meted out to them after the late Australian tour, when they, although in funds, refused to give them any assistance by way of a refund. The idea of sending a team away is an excellent one, and I quite agree with the opinion expressed by the writer of the above paragraph, that New Zealand cricket would gam greatly bv being matched against the strong Australian associations. Rut until the smaller asosciations can get some guarantee that they may expect fair treatment in the selection of a representative team, they will be' wise to leave the financing of the council’s representatives to those associations who will provide the players.